Vail's Sebastian introduces new restaurant Leonora

Special to the Daily
Executive chef Sergio Howland has designed the menu for Leonora, which includes signature dishes like serrano ham and cheese croquetas, wood-roasted mussels and lobster pot pie with heirloom vegetables.

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VAIL -The Sebastian in Vail opens Leonora, its refreshed signature restaurant, on Saturday. As the hotel celebrates its second anniversary and the forthcoming ski season, Leonora takes the place of Block 16.

Named after Leonora Carrington, an inspiring and talented artist whose painting and sculptures greet guests at every turn throughout the property, the restaurant will feature a refreshed space, a wine and tapas bar, and a new menu highlighting an Alpine-inspired bistro cuisine.

The evolution of Block 16 to Leonora is reflective of the progressive food and beverage programming at The Sebastian, and the influence of recently appointed Director of Food and Beverage, Paul Wade. Wade's creative and unpretentious approach to restaurant design and love of niche food styles such as hand crafted organic, sustainable and small farm food sources, lead the transformation of The Sebastian - Vail's signature restaurant to an exciting social atmosphere with modern-style comfort food that is true to the region.

"Our vision for Leonora at The Sebastian - Vail is to introduce an energetic and upscale, yet delightfully unpretentious culinary experience," said Wade. "Leonora will bring a bustling social atmosphere with its new bar spaces and unique culinary offerings inspired by our stunning mountain surroundings."

The hotel's Executive Chef Sergio Howland will continue implementing his high standards for the property's food and beverage programming by offering simply prepared tapas, crudo and Alpine dishes using the best local and organic ingredients for a buffet breakfast, a la carte lunch and dinner and the new tapas bar. Signature dishes at Leonora will include serrano ham and cheese coquetas; Lava Lake lamb loin with sweet peppers and rosemary jus; wood-roasted mussels; and lobster pot pie with heirloom vegetables.

The 1,000-bottle wine silo in the center of the dining room will continue to set the stage for the wine-centric experience guests can expect of the restaurant. Featuring approximately 300 to 500 labels and roughly 10,000 total bottles, the extensive wine list focuses heavily on varietals from California and France, with plenty of White Burgundy and Bordeaux. New World wines from Spanish and Italian regions will also be featured, along with esoteric selections from South America and Colorado, largely in the form of small vineyard and vineyard designate wines.